- Research Article
- 10.18316/rcd.v18i49.13222
UNDERSTANDING SPEAKING ANXIETY AMONG SAUDI EFL LEARNERS
- Mar 12, 2026
- Conhecimento & Diversidade
- Ahmad Kasser Mleiki
Language learning anxiety is a persistent challenge in second-language classrooms, particularly in contexts where language use is socially visible and evaluative. Grounded in social-psychological perspectives on foreign language anxiety and self-efficacy theory, this study examines emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal predictors of speaking anxiety among Saudi undergraduate EFL learners. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 170 Saudi university students enrolled in compulsory English language courses across disciplines. A structured questionnaire measured communication embarrassment, fear of negative evaluation, perceived linguistic incompetence, peer interactional climate (psychological safety), and overall speaking anxiety. Descriptive statistical analyses revealed consistently high levels of speaking anxiety across the sample. Communication embarrassment and fear of negative evaluation emerged as the most salient emotional dimensions, highlighting learners’ sensitivity to public errors and peer judgment. Cognitive self-appraisals, particularly perceived linguistic inadequacy relative to classmates, were also strongly associated with anxiety. Although perceptions of psychological safety were comparatively lower, many learners reported reluctance to speak due to anticipated negative peer reactions. Overall, the findings indicate that speaking anxiety among Saudi EFL learners is a socially embedded phenomenon shaped by evaluative pressures, self-beliefs, and classroom interactional norms.
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